Gemotions

He tried to take a deep breath, but it caught in his throat. The words "delayed indefinitely" echoed in his mind. David was going to propose to his girlfriend tonight. He had planned everything perfectly: the restaurant, the view, the ring hidden safely in his pocket. The carefully constructed world he created suddenly felt fragile and tenuous.

He imagined her waiting for him, her excitement turning to worry, then disappointment. He pulled out his phone again, scrolling through photos of them together, a desperate attempt to ground himself. His palms were slick with sweat.

He was lost in the vastness of the terminal, the sheer number of people, the echoing sounds, adding to his internal chaos. He felt as though he were adrift in a sea of strangers, with no land in sight.